2: Loving someone with anxiety is about being supportive

Let’s be honest here. We’ve all had our own issues from time to time, right? And we all wanted support. So pay it back or pay it forward and be the supportive person that you yourself might be thankful for some day.

Here are some ways to be supportive:

Speak in gentle ways (without being patronising)

Listen to them

Focus on their accomplishments not on the issue

Subtly get rid of things that make them anxious (clean for them, remove unnecessary sources of negativity etc.,)

Introduce things that make them calm (take them to the beach, put relaxing images in your home, etc)

3: When you love someone with anxiety, remind them how good they are

Subtly bring up their accomplishments… subtly. You never want to draw attention to the fact that you’re intentionally being nice just because they have anxiety.

Often, people with anxiety dwell on negatives. They get caught up in their own shortcomings. Remind them of the ways in which they are awesome.

4. Living someone with anxiety is brutal sometimes. That’s why you should meditate to relax

You feel frustrated.

You get angry and impatient

You feel like telling the to snap out of it.

And you have the right to feel that way. But it is not going to help.

Take steps to maintain your own inner peace so you are able to help them without getting frustrated. Here are 31 meditations for you to choose from (I recommend Zen for this).

4: Always be compassion when you love someone with anxiety

It’s best if we remember to be a little more compassionate with people with anxiety. After all, people with anxiety are more sensitive than the rest of us. And they do require a little bit more compassion.

5: Give people with anxiety the time they need

Sometimes people with anxiety just need a little bit of time to be alone.

Any kind of social pressure will greatly affect someone with anxiety. So sometimes it is best to just let them be alone for a while. And it is an opportunity for you to relax too.

6: Loving someone with anxiety means you sometimes get shot down. And yeah, it hurts

Panic can sometimes cause people to act rashly and without thought. If they do something thoughtless, don’t be too hard on them, give them a break.

They might be cruel

They might say things that hurt

They might lash out at you

They might make you feel guilty or no reason

But when you love someone with anxiety you need to remember that it’s just the anxiety making them act up. They don’t mean it.

You’re going to need a lot of emotional intelligence to stop yourself from getting caught up in the web of emotions.

7: Loving someone with anxiety means you might get ignored, but….

It might seem like they’re ignoring you at times. But it’s because they’re not feeling comfortable talking. They don’t mean it personally. Let them be.

This is one good reason to avoid any uncomfortable conversations. Or, at least, to wait until they are relatively relaxed before speaking about anything stressful.

8: It is hard for people with anxiety to change

We all wish for a cure to anxiety. But the reality of the situation is that it is a challenge to overcome anxiety. Don’t make them feel rushed. Make them feel supported instead.

Remember, once they do overcome anxiety they will remember all the ways you helped them beat anxiety, and they will be grateful for it.

9: When you love someone with anxiety, remember that they love you too

People with anxiety aren’t social butterflies. They find it hard talking to people. That’s why the people who are there for them, people like you and I, we really matter, and they know that, even if they don’t always express it.

Someone with anxiety might struggle to thank you. That’s why you should thank yourself. Feel good about the fact that you are helping someone with anxiety. Treat yourself. You deserve it.

10: Loving someone with anxiety can be lonely

Problem is this: When you love someone with anxiety they don’t want to know that you’re worried about them.

That sucks, because you can’t even tell them your worries.

They’re already suffering with anxiety.

They don’t want the added burden of thinking that you’re worrying about them.

Let them know that you’re cool with them.

11: When you love someone with anxiety, remind them that they’re more than that

So the person you love has anxiety.

They’re still amazing, right?

Let them know that.

Tell them how awesome they are and let them know that they are so much more than they’re anxiety.

12: Loving someone with anxiety is about making life easier for both of you

People with anxiety get overwhelmed. Don’t give them anything to stress about. Make life easy for them.

Some ideas:

If they cancel dates or arrangements, be okay with it (even though it sucks)

If they lack confidence in bed, let them know it’s not a big deal

Make it easy for them to talk to you

13: Remember that you’ve probably had anxiety before too

Everyone in the world at some point in their life has suffered from anxiety.

It might not be a prolonged bout of anxiety and it might not be diagnosable, but we know what it feels like.

Remember that you’ve been there too.

When you remind yourself that you’ve been there, you will feel more patient with them. And it is important to have patience.

14: Start a new hobby with someone with anxiety

Scientific research has proven that our hobbies have a huge affect on our mental health.

Some hobbies can cause anxiety (watching too much TV, sports where the results matter, anything on stage).

And some hobbies can hep to relieve anxiety: yoga, tai chi, gardening…

17: Loving someone with anxiety means you yourself need time to chill

If you need a break from dealing with the anxiety, take a break. The more you help yourself the more you’ll help the people you love.

It’s not always easy loving someone with anxiety. When you love someone with anxiety it can be a challenge. That’s why you should always remember to be kind to yourself as well as to them.

Deal with your stress. Be selfish. Occasionally.

18. Be gentle and kind to people who have anxiety

One of the best ways to help someone with anxiety is to be kind and gentle.

A lot of people with anxiety have been the victims of gaslighting techniques or other forms of manipulation. Other people have harmed them. That’s why they need so much kindness and love from you.

People with anxiety want a kind and friendly soul in their life.

They want someone who is there for them. They want someone they know won’t ever judge them or get angry at them. They want a comforting companion.

You can do that.

You can be the person who is always there, the person who listens, the person who is just… good.

19. Loving someone with anxiety is a patience game

You might be a saint. But odds are there will be a couple times when you feel impatient with someone with anxiety.

That’s just normal. You’re human too. You have emotions. You get angry from time to time. That’s fine.

But if you ever feel like you’re getting impatient or angry when you’re around someone with anxiety, just find a good excuse to leave. Get space. Chill out. Relax. Reconnect with your happy-face. Then once you’re feeling chipper you can help out again.

20. When you love someone with anxiety, be in touch

As much as your friend actually needs you to be there, they also kinda just want to feel as though you would be there for them if they really did need you.

Give them a contact number.

Be reachable.

Respond to messages.

Just let them know “Hey. I’m here if you need me”.

Most people with anxiety will be respectful and will not demand too much of your time. But they will also know that if their anxiety gets bad, you’ll be there.

But, ironically, a lot of people suffer from anxiety while talking on the phone, so make sure you don’t go calling them out of nowhere. Text instead.

This is one of the most important ways to help someone with anxiety.

We played that song at my dad’s funeral. It’s such a beautiful piece of music).

21. Mindfulness is mega helpful when you love someone with anxiety

One of the best ways you can help someone with anxiety is to give them excuses to be mindful.

Being mindful essentially means living in the moment. If you’re living in the moment you’re not suffering from anxiety.

So, give them ways to be mindful. Take them for a walk or a drive somewhere nice and peaceful. Put on relaxing music, telling them that you want to listen to it. Create positive environments with letting them know why you’re doing it.

Essentially, you are making them momentarily forget that they have anxiety.

22. Loving someone with anxiety means you are the source of positivity

When you love someone with anxiety, reinforce the positive with affirmations

Another great way to help someone with anxiety and stress is to be a friendly, positive voice.

Be subtle. You don’t want to seem as though you’re glorifying their every breath. That’s patronizing. But if they say something funny, laugh. If they make a good point, acknowledge it. If they’re happy, smile with them.

23. People with anxiety aren’t Bonnie Tyler. They don’t need a hero.

You’re awesome for wanting to help someone with anxiety. It’s a noble cause. And you should rightly feel pretty good about yourself.

Just don’t overdo it.

Don’t suddenly turn into Oprah or an agony aunt.

Be cool.

Do the right thing.

Be natural.

24. When you need to know how to help someone with anxiety, study-up

The best warrior is the enlightened warrior. If you want to win a battle, know your enemy.

Anxiety is the enemy. And one of the best ways that you can help someone beat anxiety is to know what you’re up against.

Thankfully there are tons of great books about anxiety. Reading these will show you how to help someone with anxiety.

Paul Harrison

Paul Harrison is a meditation teacher, author and journalist based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Paul has helped thousands of people to discover their true potential. Don’t miss Paul’s inspirational and enlightening book: Your Best Meditation